Interview with Bryan Coquard

Interview by Sébastien Jacquet – Photos: @Vital Concept

3Bikes.fr: You’ve put track cycling back on your 2019 program and seem to want to cultivate a form of multi-activity… Was this a real need for you?

Bryan Coquard: Yes, I realized it was a mental and physical need. First, to vary, to change activity, but above all to return to the track, which is a bit of my first love. I was good on the track right away before performing on the road. These are really different sensations from what I feel on the road, and it’s especially a discipline I practice much more relaxed. On the road, there are demands for results and the normal pressure that comes with it. Whereas on the track, I really do it for myself. It’s really a discipline where I have a blast.

3B: When we look at your career, your best seasons are those that followed a winter on the track (2013, 2016), and you performed well from the start. Have you and your coach noticed this too?

B.C: That’s exactly it. By reviewing my first six professional years, we realized that, both physically and psychologically, the track brought me a lot. Psychologically, because it allows me to detach myself a bit on the bike and really enjoy myself, simply, without thinking about the result. And on the physical or physiological side, because these are very, very high-intensity efforts, which allow me to work on my primary qualities, especially explosiveness.

3B: So the goal is to return to basics?

B.C: Yes, that’s it. It sounds silly to say, but even though I’m getting older, I’m still a bit of a kid on my bike. I really need to have fun. And there, I find very, very high intensities while having fun. It’s not at all a constraint to make these efforts, so it’s a win-win.

3B: Have you felt like you’ve regressed in the last two years?

B.C: Yes… Well, what’s certain is that I’m not progressing much anymore. Or less quickly than I did in my first years as a pro. I’ve always evolved a bit year after year. Now, I’ve reached a plateau. So we sat down, we thought about what I had done before to see what had gone wrong, what was missing. It was clearly the track that came back quite quickly and naturally.

“I really see cycling as a game; I’ve always operated that way.“

3B: Isn’t the competition also tougher today?

B.C: It’s possible. The level is getting denser year after year. But I don’t pay too much attention to it. I mainly focus on myself, on being as performant as possible.

3B: You feel this need to diversify your practice to maintain a certain mental freshness… Should cycling remain a game for you?

B.C: I really see cycling as a game; I’ve always operated that way. I sometimes do track cycling, but also mountain biking and cyclocross. I do a lot of mountain biking during the season. It allows me to change and mentally recharge. You’re on a different surface, in a different environment, really relaxed. It’s easy, it’s a fun day, it diversifies and breaks a kind of routine. I think it’s very important to have little moments like these during a season. We’re still cycling, but in a more playful way. I have a blast in the woods in the mud when it rains… Whereas on the road, it’s immediately less fun.

“I like this connection with the younger riders, playing with them on the track. Exchanging, discussing, and teaching them a trick or two.“

3B: Do you still ride on the track with the young racers from your training club?

B.C: It’s a bit random depending on my travel during the season, but as soon as I’m here, on Tuesday evenings, I go to the track with the young racers from US Ponchâteau. I like this connection with the younger riders, playing with them on the track. Exchanging, discussing, and teaching them a trick or two. It’s mostly about sharing that moment with them. And it gives me a little training session. An easy double-session, while having fun. I’m a bit disappointed when it doesn’t fit into the training schedule. If I absolutely have to do a long ride on Tuesday, for example, it’s not possible to combine it with the track in the evening.

3B: Track, mountain biking… Is it also a way to work on your agility?

B.C: I think it contributes to it. I’m quite comfortable on the bike, especially on a mountain bike. I like to go full speed downhill or through challenging technical sections. That’s also where I have a blast on a bike.

3B: On your Instagram account, we can see a photo of you doing a wheelie in the Molenberg during a reconnaissance of Het Nieuwsblad last year… Do you enjoy this role of “ambianceur” in a group, with your colleagues?

B.C: Yes, I have that playful side on my bike. It makes me laugh, I have a blast. I do some funny things, and some people find it amusing. Sometimes, they think I’m a bit crazy, like on descents during training camps. It sounds silly, but there’s also a clown side to it, to make everyone laugh and work in a good mood. I’ve always tried to maintain that. Having fun with my bike. I think that’s the key.

“The track is the best way for me to truly thrive.“

3B: With this agility and taste for technical riding, are you thinking about the cobbled classics?

B.C: It’s something I enjoy, I’m really comfortable. The classics are very technical, all day long. You have to know how to jump, handle the bike very well, and be agile and comfortable on the cobbles. I really like that aspect. Then there’s the physical aspect. With my 60 kg soaking wet, it’s a bit complicated. Anyway, on the flat cobbles where I lack a bit of power and physique, which I try to compensate for with my agility and positioning. I don’t know yet, I will certainly participate in Paris-Roubaix once in my career, but it’s certain that I’m more attracted to the Tour of Flanders or the GP E3, which correspond more to my qualities and my power-to-weight ratio.

3B: What’s your next track cycling event?

B.C: I’m doing the UCI Class 1 competition in Ghent the weekend of the Marseillaise to finalize my points total and be able to participate in the track world championships. To prepare for all that calmly and serenely, I’m going to Bourges on January 7, 8, 9 for a three-day mini-camp to work on my pedal stroke and track intensities.

3B: So, you didn’t get your cyclocross bike out this winter…

B.C: No, cyclocross wasn’t in my plans this year. Since I extended the road season with track, a World Cup round in Canada then Anadia in Portugal, I had to take a break. But I really like it, it makes me laugh a lot. I must have done three or four last year. Cyclocross is a lot of fun. We laugh, it’s technical… But be careful, because if you’re not at least minimally physically prepared, the fun quickly ends. You have to have resumed training and ridden a bit before lining up at a start. If I don’t feel ready, I prefer a short mountain bike ride in the morning. It’s much less physical and demanding.

3B: Not wanting to look ridiculous either?

B.C: That’s exactly it. So as not to look too ridiculous… I’m a competitor and when I start a race, it’s to win. I don’t really like losing anyway (laughs). It also limits the danger and falls, because even when you’re technical and skilled, taking a few risks, a bit of an angle in the turns… If you’re less lucid, you quickly make a mistake.

3B: Where will you start your 2019 road season?

B.C: At L’Etoile de Bessèges.

3B: So, the track world championships are integrated into your road calendar?

B.C: It’s included in my program, we’ve integrated it as best as possible with the team. It’s scheduled between Oman and Paris – Nice. We’re also going to try to do the best possible preparation. Even if it’s for my own pleasure and the road remains the priority. I’d certainly like to do well there.

3B: Was the team receptive to the idea of your return to the track?

B.C: Yes, absolutely. For me to perform, I need to be comfortable. And I think the track is the best way for me to truly thrive. This year is different from last year and I’m approaching it very calmly.